


A Time to Love

by Otrera



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alternate Universe - Bridge to Terabithia, Bridge to Terabithia - Freeform, But in this fic she's a girl, Childhood Friends, Donnie is actually Raph's male vessel, Gen, bc her female vessel doesn't have a name
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-05-30
Updated: 2018-05-30
Packaged: 2019-05-15 20:20:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,146
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14797334
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Otrera/pseuds/Otrera
Summary: Raphael just wants to be the fastest boy in fifth grade, but the new girl next door unlocks the door to a whole new life.





	A Time to Love

**Author's Note:**

> Should I be starting another big fic right before the Triad Verse BIg Bang? No. Am I? Yes.
> 
> This is actually a really old fic idea I had. I found it in my drafts on Quotev (god, the last time i was on that website was in middle school) and still liked the concept, so here we are. This fic is completely outlined, so the likelihood of it going unfinished is low.
> 
> Some of the dialogue is taken from the Bridge to Terabithia movie (2007).

The house was quiet when Raphael woke up. He got out of bed and felt along the wall to get to the stairs. He would have turned the light on, but he didn’t want to wake Gabriel up and have to listen to him whine.

Downstairs, he put his sneakers on and snuck out the door. His dad was already working in the garden, and he waved aas Raphael ran past. Raphael waved back.

He ran all the way out to the field behind his house. He set his sights on a tall tree on the edge of the field. He knelt down into a crouch, like he’d seen people do at the Olympics.

“On your mark,” he breathed, “get ready… go!”

He ran as fast as he could to the tree. There was a race at school today, and he was determined to be the fastest boy in fifth grade. Victor Henriksen in his grade had won last year, but Raphael was sure that if he practiced enough, he could win.

He wasn’t able to run as long as he would have liked, though. His sneakers pinched his toes unpleasantly. When he took them off, his toes were red, and blisters were forming. He went back to his house barefooted, the dewy morning grass tickling his feet.

“Raphael Shurley, why are you wandering around without your shoes on?” his mother scolded when he went inside. “Wipe your feet on the rug.”

“They were hurting my toes,” Raphael said, wiping his feet on the welcome mat.

She pursed her lips. “There’s a pair of Lucy’s old sneakers in the laundry closet.”

“But those are girls’ ones. I can’t race in those.”

“You can’t race in your old ones.”

“He needs some new shoes, Naomi,” his father admitted.

“They make them the same. Go eat your breakfast, Raphael. Hurry up or you’ll miss the bus.”

* * *

 “Psst, Raph! Raphael!”

Raphael thumped his head back against the bus seat. “What, Gabriel?”

“Whattaya call your teacher? I wanna tell Sam.”

“‘Monster Mouth.’ Now scoot.”

“Sam, they call her ‘Monster Mouth’ Mills!” his little brother giggled to his best friend.

Something hit him in the back of the head. He whipped around and yelled, “Hey!” A peanut butter sandwich fell off of his head.

“Nice one, Meg,” snickered an eighth grader from the back of the bus.

“Consider it a free lunch program, farmer boy!” shouted Meg Masters.

“Settle down back there,” said the bus driver.

Raphael slumped back down in his seat.

* * *

 Like always, Ms. Mills started the year with a speech.

“A few ground rules for this classroom. No talking. No chewing gum. No electronic devices. If you download essays off the Internet, you'll be downloaded into detention. Let's start the year off on the right foot and all do our own work.”

“Beep, beep, beep, beep,” said Uriel, who was sitting behind him. “You know what that is? The sound of my _loser_ detector.”

Raphael turned around in his seat, but before he could do anything, Ms. Mills snapped, “Raphael! I got it from your sisters, I don’t need it from you, too.”

Principal Singer knocked on the door jamb. “Ms. Mills? This is Donnie Finnerman, she will be joining your class.”

A girl with her hair in lots of little braids and wearing paint-splattered jeans waved at Ms. Mills. She was smiling, but it didn’t seem like a very happy smile.

Ms. Mills smiled back. “Nice to meet you, Donnie. I hope you had a good summer. Why don’t you sit…” She looked around at the overfull classroom. “Well, how about you sit by my desk until we find a better place.”

Ms. Mills pulled up a stool by her desk and Donnie sat down, clutching her notebooks to her chest.

“All right, class, let’s start the year with a fun little assignment. I’d like all of you to write a one-page paper about your favourite hobby…”

* * *

 At recess, Gabriel ran up to Raphael and tugged on his sleeve with with eyes. “The new girl’s trying to use the bathroom!”

Sure enough, Donnie Finnerman was by the girls’ bathroom, which, as per usual, was being guarded by Meg and her goons. Meg held out her hand for a dollar bill. Donnie didn’t give her one.

Donnie put her hands on her hips. Loud enough for most of the playground to hear, she said, “Have you ever heard about the ugly trolls who live under bridges and collect tolls from unlucky travellers?”

“Trolls?” said Ruby, one of Meg’s friends. “What’s she talking about?”

“I don’t know,” said Meg. “But it’s still a dollar.”

Raphael was distracted when one of the Dean Winchester shouted, “Fifth grade is racing next! Come line up!”

Raphael and all the other fifth grade boys lined up. Raphael ended up next to Uriel.

“Beep, beep, beep,” he whispered. “Dead meat, dead meat.”

On Uriel’s other side, Victor was yelling. “Hey, new girl! This race is only for boys! Get outta the line.”

“Shut up, Victor. Anyone can race.”

“You afraid of being beaten by a girl?” said Raphael.

Victor’s face flushed an ugly shade of red, but before he could respond, Dean shouted, “On your mark, get set, go!”

Raphael shot off like a rocket! He was yards, no, miles ahead of all the other boys! Gabriel was cheering for him in the crowd. He was going to win, he was going to—

“Hi!”

Raphael looked over. To his shock and disbelief, Donnie was keeping pace with him, and only a few seconds later, she pulled ahead and crossed the finish line. _Before him_.

“Go, Raph, go!” cheered Gabriel from the sidelines. “Didja win?”

“Hey, Raphael, right?”

Raphael turned around. Donnie was standing behind him, panting slightly. Raphael ignored her.

“C’mon, Gabriel. We’re gonna miss the bus.”

* * *

 Donnie Finnerman got off at the same stop as them.

“Are you following me?” Raphael asked.

“No. We’re neighbours.”

Gabriel perked up. “Do you have any brothers or sisters my age?”

Donnie shook her head.

“Oh. Do you have any Barbies?”

“One or two, I think.”

“Dad won’t let me have any, but I have one and a half secret ones.”

“Half a Barbie?”

“She got cut in half because she was being mean.”

“Raphael! Gabriel! Dinner!” their mother called from their house.

“We have to go,” Gabriel told Donnie. “See you tomorrow.”

When they got inside, Naomi was scolding Lucy. “When I ask you to watch the baby, Lucy, I mean watch the baby.”

“I’m doing my algebra homework!” She noticed Raphael and Gabriel. “Hey, twerps. How was your race?”

“There’s a new girl next door, and she beat all the boys. Even Raph.”

“Is that so?” Naomi ruffled Raphael’s hair. “I’m sorry. Maybe you’ll beat her next time.”

Next time won’t be until next _year_ , thought Raphael, but out loud he said, “Maybe. Thanks, Mom.”


End file.
